 "'Dead issue': Trump says won’t comment on Epstein birthday book letter")
President Donald Trump on Tuesday declined to comment on a letter found inside Jeffrey Epstein’s “birthday book” that allegedly bears his signature, calling the matter a “dead issue.”
In a brief phone interview with NBC News on Tuesday morning, Trump said, “I don’t comment on something that’s a dead issue. I gave all comments to the staff. It’s a dead issue.”
This marks the first time Trump has addressed the letter since it became public.
A lewd birthday letter allegedly sent by Trump to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 — which Trump has denied — was published on Monday by a congressional panel investigating Epstein’s sex crimes.
The typewritten note, inserted into a sketched outline of a nude woman, was part of a collection of messages compiled by Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell, now imprisoned, for Epstein’s 50th birthday.
The Wall Street Journal first reported on the letter and the book in July, prompting Trump, 79, to file a $10 billion defamation lawsuit.
The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed the book and other documents from Epstein’s estate as part of its ongoing probe into the handling of the sex offender’s case.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsTrump’s alleged note features a brief dialogue between “Donald” and “Jeffrey”:
“We have certain things in common,” says Donald.
“Yes, we do, come to think of it,” replies Jeffrey.
“Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?” asks Donald.
“As a matter of fact, it was clear to me the last time I saw you,” answers Jeffrey.
“A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret,” the note concludes, followed by Trump’s signature, placed where pubic hair is drawn on the nude outline.
Another letter in the book mentions Trump alongside a photo of Epstein holding a $22,500 check signed “DJ Trump,” though the signature differs from Trump’s usual handwriting. The note reads: “Jeffrey showing early talents with money + women! Sells ‘fully depreciated’ [redacted name] to Donald Trump.”
The Wall Street Journal also reported a letter from businessman Joel Pashcow referencing a woman courted by both Trump and Epstein in the 1990s.
Democrats released the Trump letter ahead of the full book’s publication, prompting Republican chairman James Comer to accuse them of “cherry-picking documents and politicising information.”
The White House again denied the letter’s authenticity.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “it’s very clear President Donald Trump did not draw this picture and he did not sign it.” She added, “President Trump’s legal team will continue to aggressively pursue litigation.”
Epstein, a wealthy financier with high-level global connections, died in his New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking underage girls for sexual massages.
With inputs from agencies
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